1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to animal traps and, more particularly, is directed towards a snare type of animal trap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Animal traps which utilize a loop type of snare to trap the animal's leg, neck or other body part are known. Prior art U.S. patents of which I am aware which generally describe such traps include: Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,196; Ramsey U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,514; and Aberg U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,408.
Each of the traps described in the above-cited patents comprises a generally tubular housing which contains a spring-loaded element that is released to travel down the tube when the trap is triggered either by the animal or manually. A loop type of snare, which may comprise a cable, rope, or like element, is connected to the spring-loaded element so as to move therewith. The animal's leg, neck or other body member is trapped in the loop against the housing upon the spring-loaded withdrawal of the former within the latter.
A common deficiency of previously known loop element or snare type of traps, as exemplified by the above-cited patents, is that, while initially designed to alleviate the pain and suffering of the animal caused by the widely utilized jaw type of trap, they have not been as successful in this regard as one might initially expect. This is believed due primarily to the fact that such traps are not adjustable according to the type of animal desired to be trapped. This means that, with a given trap, it has been impossible to discriminate between the force exerted by the snare on a large animal's leg and that exerted on a small animal's leg. For example, it is likely that a snare sized so as to trap a small animal would exert enough pressure on the leg of a large animal to break it, clearly causing the large animal much unneeded pain and suffering. Conversely, a loop type of trap designed to snare a large animal would be incapable of being used to snare a small animal, since the size of loop and pressure exerted by the spring force would have to be changed.
It therefore would be extremely desirable to be able to provide a humane, snare type of animal trap which includes means for permitting same to be adjusted so as to exert only as much pressure as may be required to hold, without hurting, the particular type of another desired to be trapped. It is towards this end that the present invention is advanced.
Full-text copies of the above-cited references are enclosed herewith, and it is respectively requested that they be made of record in the present application.